Captain Jacob Trouba appears to be staying with the New York Rangers instead of being traded for now, despite earlier trade rumors, and his wife is a significant factor in this decision.
Reports indicate that a potential trade to the Detroit Red Wings didn't materialize after Trouba submitted his 15-team no-trade list to GM Chris Drury. Interestingly, the speculated deal wasn't offered in which the Rangers would retain $2.5 million of Trouba's $8 million cap hit for the next two years. Trouba didn't reject this deal; it wasn't proposed.
The landscape has changed with other defensemen like Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, and Nikita Zadorov quickly finding new teams in NHL free agency. Trouba's contract still has two years remaining with an $8 million AAV, making a trade less likely.
According to Larry Brooks of the NY Post, Trouba's personal situation is another factor keeping him in New York. When Trouba signed his seven-year, $56 million contract in 2019, it included a five-year no-movement clause that would end when his wife, Kelly Tyson-Trouba, completed her residency at a New York hospital.
Additionally, they recently welcomed their first child, Axel. Given these developments, Trouba is unlikely to accept a trade, even to a team on his approved list, if it means being separated from his wife and young son during this crucial family time. It appears Trouba's future with the Rangers could hinge on family considerations as much as hockey.
